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Politics

Demint Defends: Senator Says Tea Party Did Not Cost GOP Senate Seats

Nov. 7, 2010 10:13am Scott Baker

WASHINGTON (AP) — South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint says he hopes fellow Republicans heed the call of tea party and give the grass-roots activists credit for last week’s election gains.

He also says the campaign of the GOP’s White House nominee in 2012 should be based on repealing President Barack Obama’s health care law.

DeMint says Republicans — who just won control of the House — should make every effort to withhold money to help put the law into practice.

DeMint’s political action committee helped tea party candidates in Tuesday’s election. He’s also crediting Sarah Palin, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie for inspiring tea partiers.

DeMint appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

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Comments (86)

T.JeffersonWasTheBest
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:02pm
Demint for President 2012!!

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- emmjayne
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:38pm
  THAT is the best thing I have read today!!! Let’s start a roar! DEMINT FOR PRESIDENT!
  
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TRUTHLADY
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:59am
GOD and Country, GOD and Country, GOD and Country. Without GOD their will be no Country, no matter who we elect. Always remember that.

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JohnFourteenSix
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:58am
I just love Jim DeMint! Were it not for the Tea Party, the Republican Party would have been decimated on 11/2/10 with no hope of stopping the Progressive steamroller from completely crushing the America we know and love.

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ChuckNorton1
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:51am
The elite media narrative is silly. In essence it is “You weren’t perfect and you didn’t win every race so you are a failure.” The truth is that most Tea Party endorsed candidates won.

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trukmek
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:44am
Forgot to mention, about time someone gave us credit!

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trukmek
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:41am
Yo’ SEEMSEW. You are right. The GOPher leadership probably noticed a lot people
were ticked off over hangin’ O’Donnell and Angle out to dry.

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PhilipJames
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:41am
DeMint is absolutely correct… where do the Republican Establishment dolts think all those other Republicans got their support from anyway?
As for Christie and his comments on Christine O’Donnell…. remember what side he is on in 2012.
- NO guarantee Castle would have won… all Republicans in Delaware went down, they all lost by the same percentage as Christine… so what the Republican Establishment is saying, including Christie, is that WITH Republican Establishment support, Castle could have, would have won. Well, that is a stunning indictment… that the reason Christine lost is because there was no support.
- Lets be clear…. the Republican Establishment was very happy to have Christine as their candidate against Joe Biden in two elections… What’s that all about? They knew she could not win against Biden so they were happy to have her as the sacrificial lamb… but, when it looked like maybe there was an opportunity, they decided to destroy her and go with Castle. Rats… that’s what they are…. big stinking RATS.
- Just one example of the back room boys culture… they would rather destroy one of their own rather than give up the power. There is no other answer than this. Castle did not endorse. NRSC abandoned her. There appear to be a lot of rats in that nest… i.e. weaken Miller in Alaska by allowing Murkowski to keep her seniority… seen the video on Huckabee last night where Federal employer on Military base told all his workers to vote for Murkowski because she brought home bacon being on Appropriations Committee? http://tinyurl.com/3a6dqvs
- Well, there is going to be an accounting coming in 2012.

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- cykonas
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:38pm
  Amen Philipjames, great post. We the people cannot have any alligience to any party. Both of the major parties are full of corrupt, arrogant players. As you suggest we should ignore their labels and pay attention to their principles and ideas. We want individual representatives, not party zombies, who stand for America. Not “our district” or “our state”, but our country. No more comprimises. Let’s stand together on principle, or fall apart on stupid party loyalties. A bum is a bum, and a rat is a rat, no matter the party label. God bless the USA now, and in the future, as you have always done since our beginning. Peace.
  
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Ruler4You
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:35am
I agree. The GOP cost the GOP senate seats. And it will cost them seats in 2012, also. But I suspect it will cost the democRATS even more.

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Geo0248
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:34am
It should be clear by now to these pinheads who just lost their jobs in DC and the ones coming in to replace them.
WE THE PEOPLE are finally awake and if they/you do not do our bidding in Washington we will personally ride you pinheads out on a rail all the while applying tar and feathers as your leaving.
DeMint is right, and the new Republican majority is there for one MAIN reason, to reflect the will of the people who got them there, namely, the Tea Party and the MAJORITY of Americans.
Listen up politicians and “git r done” or dont get to comfy, cause you wont be staying long!
Thats a promise that will be kept!

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paul6012
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:29am
It’s time the republican establishment woke up! The Tea Party is giving them a chance to clean up their act and do what’s right for the people. If they don’t live up to it in two years, they won’t have a seat at the table either…

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eddvoss
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:21am
When are both parties going to get it? America does not have an aristocracy that tells us who our candidates are going to be. Once the primaries were decided by the people it was the party’s job to help all of those candidates in their races. O’Donnell is much smarter than she has been portrayed and should have received at least some help from Rove, Krouthammer, and Christie to name a few. Angle should have had the GOP in there fighting the potential fraud that was running rampant.

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- troyvar
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:45am
  And there-in lies the problem, well up till now. Used to be the party machine was in charge of who was supported in the primary, the tea-party people have taken that back. I wouldn’t have nominated McCain to run for POTUS and I don’t know anyone personally who did.
  
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- Tuesday
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 4:52pm
  You are RIGHT! The primaries = the time to choose who is to be the party’s candidate. Once we have a winner in the primary, the party should back that candidate all the way! There is no sane reason to keep discounting OUR own candidate. YES, the GOP is responsible for Christine O’Donnell, Sharon Angle, and the other candidates for senate not getting elected. The GOP leadership failed to help them, much less push for their election!
  
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dirtytricksjusttowin
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:19am
The Tea Party saved the Republican party. Why?

Tell me, what is approval rating of the members of Congress?

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Mikee T
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:17am
I would rather have had the woman (O’Donnell) and have expected her to be “coached up” by guys like DeMint…then another freaking RINO. I can’t stand these guys that have sold america out for years now (progressives / rinos) simply by virtue of “you scratch my back and I yours”….which is what they have been doing for 50 years…..I’m sick of them….pure conservatives only for republican party or get rid of the republican party altogether…..bunch of sell outs …McConnell and Graham make me want to throw up my breakfast….and the libs ? I would like to see them all dissapear….

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Johnnyp1958
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:17am
This is just a start, in 2012 we can elect more tea party and republican’s to power and begin a new era in American politics, by the people and for the people.

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spendthrift
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:15am
The TEA Pary was completely repsonsible of the Landslide on 11/2/10. Anyone else who disagrees is on the left.

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- agree2disagree
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:38pm
  Agree – and O’Donnel had no GOP support and machine to get out her vote, a huge disadvantage, depite her unfair treatment and irrellevant witch controversy smear campiagn. In this blue state any R would have had a tough battle – I think the R machine did bring her down in the end by feeding ehr to the D machine and liberal press “lions”..
  
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Larry Sheldon
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:10am
The national GOP power elite (that has been the direct, and some cases the sole cause of the defeat of people selected by Republicans to be their candidates) had better start listening. NOW!

Stop worrying about “third parties”. Start working on ensuring that the GOP will be one of the three.

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seemsew
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:05am
Did you see where the Republican Senatorial Committee IS NOW putting up funding to HELP JOE MILLER, AK with any legal battles in the Senate race in Alaska???? NOW they want him to win, but were noncommital before.

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jlanspery
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:54am
At this early juncture the tea party had its biggest impact regionally ,as the blue coasts are still resistant or suspicious to some degree. But I wonder if they made their biggest impact on local state governments and Governors,as that seems to be forgotten by Media, we may have turned Michigan back to a red state, and maybe also Missouri from Purple to Red.

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jlanspery
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:52am
The fact is that the tea party movement made more of an impact of any movement this young ; more so then the anti war movement of the 60s and even more then the Bull Moose party made at turn of century.If it stays simple and on message and if future administrations and federal and local representatives don’t listen then then they will feel the heat.

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seemsew
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:42am
The Tea Party was the ONLY reason that turnout was great and conservatives were elected. It is very possible that more conservatives may have been elected if the Republican Senatorial Committee would have gotten their heads on straight and given support to the candidates that won the primaries fair and square. Didn’t the establishment back Fiorini and Whitmann…didn’t they lose??

There are a whole lot of RINO’s that are refusing to admit that professional politicians are not what the people want in office. Those folks work for the establishment and themselves, and The People and the Country are secondary. I would prefer people who are passionate about serving their country, but are also ready and eager to return to their homes and jobs after their service.

Too many appear to actually believe that a global society is a must. I believe that George Bush is in this camp, too. The open border issue really put me on alert. Graham, Snowe, Collins, McCain, Cornyn are a few to watch.
Our forefathers fought long and hard for American individualism and freedom, and I, for one, will not go silently.

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MrButcher
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:34am
the tea party did cost us two senate seats (nev. & del)

other than that, they did ok.

now lets repeal obamacare

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- M31Sailor
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:21pm
  Mr
  there is no proof that either candidate cost the elections but without the teaparty people , and just fed up voters very few Repubs would have have won so handily. I attended the Anti Obamacare rally last Nov and 8/28. and can honestly say that both were made up of TEA partyers, Small business owners many retired Veterans, and many Democrats and Independents that have been left behind by the Socialist, Marxist, Progressive, Communist, dominated DEMOCRAT Leadership.
  Sailor
  
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- tifosa
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 2:55pm
  and Alaska.
  
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- freeus
  Posted on November 8, 2010 at 11:59am
  Rhinos screwed themselves.
  
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tdaly
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:30am
Thank you Jim my great senator. Can you say Karl Rove. I never liked or trusted that man.

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- uncleherbert
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:35am
  Karl was thinking the big picture, but I would never let my princlples up, as Glenn said, even alittle bit of cancer is bad. Could have had Cassel, but I sent her a donation and will do it again!
  
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- CatB
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 2:00pm
  Karl certainly seems to have a “problem” with women….. what’s up with that?
  
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SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:27am
And by the way, we do want a lot of Jim DeMints running around Washington. We don’t want any more Lindsay Grahams.

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SLAPTHELEFT
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:26am
First of all and let me say this loud and clear, The establishment GOP does not and will never in the future tell WE THE PEOPLE who OUR candidates will be. WE THE PEOPLE would rather lose a race with a candidate of our choice who reflects OUR principles than reward the progressives in the GOP with majorities that undermine those principles. The Tea Partys shook the world on Nov. 2 and this is only the beginning. And we will not forget your words of scorn for WE THE PEOPLE Nov. 2 2012. Please, I beg you GOP establishment, please keep going on record insulting us. That way we have concrete evidence for the political ads to run against you. The Tea Party is here to stay and WE THE PEOPLE ARE COMING FOR YOU. We are the boss, you are the servants to the will of the people. Don’t you forget that.

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- mamawalker
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 2:36pm
  Amen and
  Amen!!!
  
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- SamAdams25
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 6:14pm
  Absolutely right! We have to a) stay in the game and not give in or up b) not just vote on election day, but become involved in local politics in order to influence who our primary candidates will be c) stay informed about the behind the scenes machinations of state level politics d) continue to educate our less informed friends and neighbors and get them involved too.
  
  We also have to continue to hold our reps’ feet to the fire. One hour a week spent writing, calling, and e-mailing your reps in support or opposition to legislation is a small price to pay. You may think that they don’t listen, but you had better believe that Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA), who is up in 2012, is paying attention now since 3 Dem Congressmen here just got thrown out of office, and a fourth hung on by a mere 450 votes. And it makes a big difference when they get a thousand calls and letters compared to 40 or 50. Stay on ‘em and don’t let up!
  
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vtxrider
Posted on November 7, 2010 at 10:23am
without the tea party the GOP would not have won near the races they did last week,,Mr. Graham would do well to remember that

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- snowleopard3200 {mix art}
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:07am
  Agreed, the tea party and the people of america need to keep reminding these political elitists they work for US, not the other way around. They have Jobs (such as it is) due to US, and need to hold each one of them accountable across the board.
  
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- Peters
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:18am
  To say that the Tea Party “cost” anything is synonymous with saying that it cost a lot to fill your gas tank to get to work to pay your bills, to feed your children, to provide a home and a future for yourself and your family.
  
  Simply, whatever the Tea Party “cost,” the alternative would have been synonymous with quitting your job because the price of gas has gone up a quarter over night . . . which it does. But we move forward; we don’t stop.
  
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- number1write
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:39am
  Graham is a traitor and an internationalist. When the hell will he be thrown out on his ****??
  
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- agree2disagree
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:33pm
  The Tea party came to the polls and held their noses to vote for some RHINO Republicans just so we could stop Obama. It is a process and we also need to remove the Rhinos like Graham at the cost of a few seats here and there – in the long run we will change the Republican party. It is NOT all about winning an “R” – that will guarantee the status quo.
  
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- Polwatcher
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 12:51pm
  I wish we had a senator like Senator DeMint.
  
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- paulnashtn
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 1:04pm
  NUMBER1WRITE
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 11:39am
  Graham is a traitor and an internationalist. When the hell will he be thrown out on his ****??
  “““““
  Sen. Graham is not a traitor, except to the republican party, and he has 4 more before he can be kicked out (and he will be)
  
  Report this comment
- tobywil2
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 1:46pm
  Senator Graham (R, SC) stated that the “Tea Party Movement” is unsustainable. Perhaps, that is just wishful thinking on Senator Graham’s part.
  
  The fact is that it is that either the “Tea Party Movement” or Senator Graham will go the way of the Dodo bird.
  
  A RINO like Senator Graham cannot survive in a nation of citizens that understand that FREEDOM RESULTS IN PROSPERITY AND THAT TYRANNY IS THE ROOT OF POVERTY AND DESPAIR. His statement proves that he understands his peril. Senator Graham’s early support of Cap and Trade proves he is an enemy of individual freedom (Capitalism) and a “Wannabe Peer.” RINOS like Senator Graham are more of a danger to the American Revolution than the admitted tyrants like Obama.
  
  We the people will not yield to the tyranny of King George III even under “new management.”
  
  THROW THE RASCALS OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  http://commonsense21c.com/
  
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- CatB
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 1:58pm
  Amen Lindsey Gramnesty better watch out … RINO’s are going to become an endangered species .. right along with socialists and marxists!
  
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- HKS
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 3:31pm
  The tea party will have to do the same thing to the Republican party the the communist did to the Democratic party. TAKE IT OVER………………..
  
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- WORKS FROM HOME
  Posted on November 7, 2010 at 8:15pm
  The TEA part has to be the ones that keep an eye on the GOP and put them back on the right path.
  
  We need to watch our reps every move and make sure everyone knows what they are doing. Blog about it and get paid. http://whamhost.info/
- Stuck_in_CA
  Posted on November 8, 2010 at 6:33am
  DeMint/Bachmann 2012 !!!!!!!!!!!
  
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- BSdetector
  Posted on November 8, 2010 at 7:43am
  I don’t know how they can deny that logic, VTX.
  Without the tea party, the pubs may have picked up a seat in Delaware, but they would not have picked up all those OTHER seats in the House or Senate.
  We should push this debate though, so we know who to throw out in the next election cycle.
  
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